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H. CLARK.

GAR STARTER. v

(NoMcdeL) Patented Nov. 6, 1883.

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N. PETERS. Phulq-Lihmgnphtr. Wnhingkon. D. C.

' am STATES HENRY CLARK, OF MILXVAUKEE, WIS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO FRANK ERBACHER AND CHRISTIAN HELMS, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

CAReSTARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,016, dated November 6, 1883.

Application filed September 10, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CLARK, ofiMilwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Starters; and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to starters for horsecars, and will be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section through center of car-floor, showing side elevation of my improved starter; and Fig. 2

is a front view of the same.

A is the draw-bar, hinged in any suitable manner in crosspiece a, held between the two longitudinal beams a a, fastened underneath the car. I On the inside face of these beams are bolted the ends of angular truss-bars B B,

which are bent down toward each other, to

support between them at a proper distance from the bottom of car the crooked lever G, hinging in the same on pin 0. On the rear arm of said lever G is freely jointed an arm, D, provided on its free end with a prong or tooth, d, and connected at about one-third of its length from said free end with the bottom of said car by means of a chain, 6, this last being in two pawl or clutch E being provided with a tripper, f, to enable the driver instantly to set said starter at work with his foot. I

A chain, F, hooked on both sides of the car and properly attached to the draw-bar A, is designed to guide said draw-bar in its up and down motion, and to limit its descent to the top of the road-bed, and prevent its end from catching in ruts or holes in said road-bed.

G are guidebrackets bolted underneath the car-platform to hold said draw-bar in the line of draft. i

This device, which is an improvement on the car-starter for which Letters Patent No.

280,450 have been granted to me under date July 3, 1883,0perates as follows: \Vhen the car is drawn along, the draw-bar A is kept in its ordinary position, as indicated by the dotted lines of the drawings, and the prong or tooth d is raised with arm D from the ground; but when the car is stopped and the draft on the draw-bar A ceases, the weight of said bar and of the front arm of lever O, as well as that of the arm D with prong or tooth (1, brings down said prong or tooth d in contact with the ground, as shown in the drawings; The moment the draft is renewed it is exerted through lever O on the point of the roadbcdjagainst which the prong at of said arm D impinges with about three times the power of the direct pull and starts the car, thus doing away with the difficulty experienced and the delay met with in such cases. lrVhen the strength of the horses, concentrated for an instant on a single point of the road-bed, has overcome the inertia of the loaded car, the draw-bar naturally takes up its position underneath the car, where it is held by the pawl E until the driver trips it again fora new start, and the arm D also resumes its position, as indicated by the dotted lines.

It must be understood that the chain c is 7 made just long enough to allow of the prong or tooth d to impinge in the road-bed, the spring 6 being provided to enable it to follow said arm D in its rearward course, while its contraction brings said-arm D safely back from the ground after it has done its work.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. A starter for horse-cars, consisting of a jointed lever fulcrumed underneath the car, the front arm of which is freely connected to the; draw-bar, and drops with it when said draw-bar is tripped, and an arm carrying a prong or tooth, and hinged on the rear arm of said lever which is made to impinge in the road-bed, and wherebythe energy of the draft is concentrated thereon in a degree suflicient to overcome the'inertia of the load, as set forth. 2. In a starter for horse-cars, the draw-bar A, hinged underneath the car, and having guide-chains F F, in combination with pawl E 2 2ss,onc

and trippe r f, substantially as shown and delever O and chain 6 6, having spiral spring e scribed, and for the purpose set forth. and attachments, substantially as shown and 3. In a starter for horse-ears, the lever 0, described, and for the purpose set forth. hung on truss-bars B B, and having roller 6 In testimony that I claim the foregoing I r 5 in forked end of its front arm, in combination have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in with an arm, D, hinged on the rear arm of I the county of Milwaukee and State of Wissaid lever G, and provided with a prong or cousin, in the presence of two witnesses. I

tooth d, substantially as shown .and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a starter for horse-cars, the arm D, havinga tooth or prong, d, in combination with HENRY CLARK.

STANLEY S. Sroor,

Witnesses: i M. KAUMHEIMER. 

